Well its been 10 weeks since my shoulder operation and I'm pleased to say that I've more or less got two functioning arms again! The operation went well, but I found being stuck in a sling for six weeks was a very frustrating experience. I've still not got full mobility or strength in the joint, but having regular sessions with a fierce, but very pretty Physiotherapist is definitely helping my recovery!
It's still uncomfortable reaching across the layout baseboards, so I've decided to have a
I'm relieved to say that I've finally finished building the pointwork for my branchline terminus. The points were built using parts from C & L components. Although I've hand filed rail section to make Crossing Vees' and Point Blades in the past, I decided on this occasion to splash out and buy pre-made items. The points are built to 31.5mm gauge, using roller jigs supplied by RMweb member "Debs." I think the finer flangeways created by using this 0.5mm narrower gauge result in better looking
Considering the diminutive size of William Clarke's station buildings, they have one heck of a lot of windows and doors! I've been busy with the micro strip and plastikard and the results are below.
I'm going to try using slide glass in the windows of my next loco, but for this building I've used a clear plastic sheet for the glazing. The glazing bars are held in place with a tiny drop of liquid poly, applied with a 00 brush. I find capiliary action, rapidly bonds the bars to the glazing m
To relieve the boredom during lock down I've spent sometime watching YouTube clips on modelling disciplines other than Railways! Probably heresy on a Railway Modelling forum, but good fun and interesting all the same The Military Modellers have some very interesting weathering techniques that I fancied having a go at and thought would make a nice change from pristine Edwardian G.W.R. locomotives and coaches!
As a teenager I dabbled in 1/35th scale WW2 military stuff and I remember
Although I've got a few horse drawn vehicles on the layout, I haven't got anything suitable for transporting goods from the station into the town. While I was at Guildex, I found a white metal kit from Duncan Models http://www.duncanmodels.co.uk/ that looked like it had the potential to make a simple flat bed wagon.
Duncan Models flat cart
They also make a nice range of horses, I chose to use their Shire horse. The horse is cast in a running position,
After my etched brass diversion, I'm getting back on track and making the buildings for my 7mm GWR branch line project. I want a goods shed to compliment the station building, so something designed by William Clarke would be ideal. I also want a style of shed that's platform mounted and has a track running through it, finishing at an end loading platform. I spent sometime researching possible prototypes, the "Modelling Questions, Help and Tips" section of the forum was very useful (Thanks to all
Close up of torn canvas on a Slaters Plastikard Cattle wagon
I've had a few positive comments about the torn canvas on the roof of one of my cattle wagons, along with a request for the method I used to model it. I'm not sure how well the method would translate to smaller scales than 7mm, but this is the technique that I used.
1. The area on the roof where the canvas is to be to torn is scribed with plank detail using a compass point or needle, held against a steel ruler.
2. A fibre
While I was at the Telford O gauge guild show last year I spotted some rather nice horse drawn wagons. They were manufactured by a company called Parliamentary trains http://www.parlytrains.co.uk/page10.html who specialize in early LNWR stock, but also do horse drawn road vehicles. I bought examples of their "One horse wagonnette" and their "One horse Brougham" thinking they would look good positioned in the station forecourt at Sherton Abbas. As an aside to working on the main layout I decided
Now the Christmas festivities are long gone and life is settling back down into some kind of normality, I've managed to find some time to do a bit more work on the Cordon. With the cylinders, supports and decking completed the next step was to make a start on the chassis and underframe. The underframe and W irons are formed from one piece of brass sheet that has half etched lines to assist folding accurately
Underframe and W irons
The component was folded up and solder was used to str
The footplate was cut from the fret, then the splasher sides were folded up at 90 degrees following the half etched lines. The valance sides, buffer and draw beams were folded 90 degrees down in a similar fashion. The kit provides a footplate overlay incorporating rivet detail, this was soldered into position using Carrs 188 solder paste using a miniflame. The addition of the overlay really stiffens the footplate and gives a good foundation to build the rest of the locomotive on. Similar overlay
I've continued to work on the layout's scenery, laying more static grass fibres at the back of the layout. I want to have a hedge running alongside the lane that leads down from the road bridge into Sherton Abbas, so armed with some rubberised horsehair I made a start. The horse hair was cut into strips and then teased apart to make a loose open latticework of fibres.
Rubberised horsehair after teasing apart
In order to represent fine twigs, 6mm long static grass fibres were applied to
I've finally got round to finishing my cordon. Although it looked reasonably complete in the last entry, there was a surprising amount of fiddly detail still to fit. The pipe work certainly tested my patience on occasion, forming four similar shaped curved gas filler pipes was particularly challenging! In the end it all went well, despite some fairly dodgy looking white metal castings that needed a lot of cleaning up and shaping.
Finished wagon ready for paint The brass surface was then p
There's not much new modelling to report, but I though I'd let people know that Sherton Abbas will be appearing At the Newport Model Railway show on the 14th April. https://newgog.wordpress.com/
Hope to see you there!
Best wishes
Dave
Something a little different that my usual G.W.R. offerings! "Lady Jayne" will be employed on my proposed layout to propel wagons along a private line, leading from a yet decided industry and onto an exchange siding. The loco was built using the Slaters kit as a base, with a lot of additional detail. Before anyone spends time looking through their Manning Wardle archives, the loco Lady Jayne never really existed and is a feeble attempt on my part to keep Mrs Wenlock sweet!
One of my favourite GWR loco's, I love the proportions of 0-4-2 tank engines, they just look "right" somehow! Built using a Malcolm Mitchell etched brass kit, with added detail. Running once again on Slaters wheels and incorporating sprung compensation. Painted using the faithful Iwata airbrush, before lining with Fox transfers.
One of the loco's I have built for my proposed Edwardian GWR layout. Constructed using a Zero Zephers kit, with additional detail and running on Slaters wheels.
Great Western Railway open wagons constructed using Cooper Craft kits, with the addition of Slaters sprung buffers and wheels.
GWR 3 plank open
GWR 4 plank open
GWR Horse Box
I picked this kit up from Danny Pinnock of D&S models at Telford last year. The etches go together very well and the castings although white metal, were remarkably flash free and well detailed. I'm going to add some vacuum pipes from Slaters brass castings, as I like their use of springs for the flexible hose. Almost ready for priming and then painting in chocolate brown.
I've been out today and bought some foam board, with a view to making a 7th scale model of the proposed layout. No pictures yet, but it's coming along nicely. I'd previously photo copied the templates in Barry Normans book and after cutting them out spent the afternoon shuffling them around. It's somehow very satisfying messing with these templates and has given me a much better idea of the radii and clearances involved. The paper representations of stock are great for working out how long loops
The first post, in what will I hope be a record of progress made on my proposed layout Not sure how fast the progress will be, but I'm sure I'll have fun doing it!
Just a quick blog entry to say that I'm taking Sherton Abbas to the Manchester show. It'll be the layout's first visit to anywhere further North than Telford in the Midlands, so if you're in the area, do come along and say hello🙂
Looking forward to what should be a good weekend, as long as the M5 and M6 are compliant!
BW
Dave
